Economic process of producing gas.



M. MAURAN & J. H. MAOMAHUN. Y

ECONOMIC PROCESS OF PRODUOING GAS. APPL'IOATION FILED MAR.12,1912.

65 scrubber and storage tank.

5 efficiency, but this may be restored by known methods after it has been withdrawn from the tanks in the manner hereinatfcr described. Usually, however', vthe saine quantity of oxid may be used repeatedly, and

lo many times, to decompose successive quantities of the hypochlorite, and it has for this reason been termed a catalytic agent.

' In practice, we find that preferably somewhat less than one part by weight of cobalt oxid to one-thousand parts by weight of bleaching powder, is a desirable proportion for carrying on the reaction efficiently. The sludge is preferably made with noniore water than is necessary to allow it to flow, so

that the tendency for the gas to emerge therefrom when the ii-uid is quiescent is not as pronounced as is compatible with the etlicient eifectuation of the process. A This is one reason Why we have found, in carrying out the lprocess'described in our Pat-ent No.

1,001,873, issued August 29, 1911,'-gr0unds for seeking an improved process.

The material in the tirst generato-r or tank 1 is. preferably heatedA to the boiling point by injecting steam thereinto at a point adjacent thel lower extremity of this tank; a

v section of the steam pipe being there shown and designated 9. It will be noted that the tank 1 is cylindrical in form and that the 35.crosS-sectional area thereof is relatively quite limited as compared to the length of thetank. `As a result the' sludge may be ow'ed upwardly therethrough ata tolerably rapid rate. By the`term tolerably-rapid `40' we do not mean necessarily that it has a quick movement, because material of such a pasty consistency-as characterizes the'sludge forced through this tank, is not. adapted for very rapid movement. 'In practice, the upward flow of sludge is also preferably continuous, and 'when it r'eaehes the"level designated 10, it is caused to flow lateralythrough a connection 11 into the secondtank in the series, which, it will be observed,

'5o is of materially larger cross-sectional area than that first referred to. The sludge flows downwardly through this second `frenerator or tank vand emerges therefrom at a vpoint 'near the bottom of the same, passingr upwardly via a pipe 12 to the third tank,

v'liich it enters at a-pointcorresponding to the entrance to tank 2. Each of the tanks, are provided with air tight covers lik-14, and in'each case a space is preferably provided above the mass of ,sludge in the respective tanks. The gas escapes into these spaces and flows through short pipes or con-- nections 15 into a common delivery pipe 16. which may lead oft' if desired. to the usual As the latter .ward speed of the said mass.

form no part of the present invention, they have not been shown herein.

The spent sludge emerges from t-he bottom of the tank or generator 3 and passes upwardly through a pipe 17 to a point preferably some distance above the level of the fluid in the tanks. lf desired, it may then be passed around a U-shapcd bend 1S in the pipe 1T and downwardly into an openrfunncl 19 which is connected to a downwardly directed pipe 20. This pipe inturn delivers to a common drain pipe Q1 which may be placed in communication with the bottom of nach of the generators. For this purpose connections 22 connect the respective bottoms QBMMO the generators with the pipe 2l, and a suitable cock or valve '25 may be included in each of these connections. The incoming steam bubbles up through the mass of sludge in the first generator and heats and incidentally chui-ns the same to some measure. This introduction of the heating' medium directly into the body to be heated econoinizcs fuel. It is, however, open to one objection, in that the bubbles of steam mechanically tend to retard the reaction whereby the desired gas is evolved. Further, the presence of the bubbles of gas also tend to retard this action quite materially, in that they serve to space apart, lat least temporarily, portions of the Huid which would be otherwise in contact with some of the catalytic agent. This agent by reason-v of its Inode of introduct-ion is disseminated4 quite evenly throughout the mass to be treated, but it is obvious that the introduction or development ofgascous matter within this mass must deleteriously affectthe speedy production or evolution of more gas. le have sought therefore to so handle the material to be treated as to facilitate the elimination therefrom of all gaseous or vaporous matters at the earliest possible moment.

Assuming that the body of. rather fthick lsludge in the generator' 1 be quiescent, a

bubble of gas evolved at the bottom thereof will consume considerable, time in working its way up through the body, and will in the manneraforesaid, by its very presence tend to retary the production of other gas.- lf, however, the whole mass he 'caused to flow upwardly toward a given level and thenlat' erally off therefrom, or from a point relatively adjacent to this level, the upward speed of the bubbles will be the sum of their normal Ispeed due to their differencein density from the mass of sludge, plus the up- The bubbles are hence much more rapidly disentraincd than would be otherwise the case, and as a result we. find that in practice it 1s possible to remove substantially 90% oflall of the oxygen which may be obtained by ,the reactions in question from a given mass or quangenerators is richerin oxygen than/the lower portions in the respective generators. It is desirable therefore that the oxygen near the top of the mass in the generator l, but which has not as yet escaped therefrom, be not forced to traverse the bulk of the mass in generator 2; and it is for this reason that the sludge is admitted to the upper portion ofthis generator, rather than to the lower portion thereof.

The cross-sectional area of the descending column of sludge in the second generator is so much greater than that of the ascending column in the first tank or generator that the movement of fluid in tank 2 is markedly less than in tank l. In fact, it is so slow in the second tank that it does not materially retard. the bubbles ascendingthrough the latter. As a matter of fact too, the quant-ity of bubbles of gas arising herem l is small as compared with those ascending through the first tank, so that their pres-- ence is not so markedly harmful. The quantity of the catalytic agent per unit of volume in the second generator usually remains substantially7 the .same as in the first. although there may be 'some deposition of this material, or of a compound formed therefrom, to the bottom of tank 1, as, of course, there is also some toward the bottom of tanks 2 and 3. There being, however, such a large quantity -of catalytic agent present in proportion to the molecules of unacted-on oxygen yielding material, that there is less retardation of t-he action of said agent upon said molecules per bubble. As a result, a larger portion of the remaining said molecules are acted upon in this generator or tank and the gas so evolved joins that delivered from the first tank and passes off through pipe 16 in, the manner described. The action in the third tank or generator is much the same as in the second, except that relatively few bubbles of gas arc evolved in the latter, the `material having been robbed of mo'st of the oxygen content which it may be deprived of by catalytic action,

before it enters the third receptacle. Again, however, the percentage of catalytic agent to unacted-on molecules is materially increased, and as a result practically all of the remaining yield of oxygen is given up in this last receptacle.

The time lconsumed in cflectuatng the entire process is preferably a multiple of the time taken up by the first step therein, i. c. the passage through the rst generator, and iii-practice I find that about one-'half hour is sufficient to obtain practically the entire oxygen content available from a given quantity or feed of hypochlorite, I do not mean` by this, of course, that all oxygen hasfbeen taken from the molecules which constitutedthe original source of oxygen,

but that practically all whichI may be taken .out by reacting thereon with such `a-substance, as cobalt monoxid, may be removed in this interval of time. y

The process is preferably conducted continuously, atleast for considerable intervals of time; but from time to time it 'ivill be `necessary to drain off the deposits Whichk will collect in the bottoms of the several.

tanks. This may readily be accomplished by opening the cocksr 25,v and, if necessary, by flushing the tankswvith Water which may be. delivered from the pump 4.

Our process obviously results in the saving of heat, since only the first tank need be direct-ly heated, the hot material thereafter passing successively through the rc maining tanks.

It is practically essential, on thel ground of-economy, that sufficient quantity of the catalytic agent be present in the sludge to effect the liberation of the oxygen with rcasonable'rapidity, since otherwise the process will be ltoo slow, and the prolonged boiling or heating consumes fuel. The process herein described does aivay with the necessity for providing beating or stirring ap-v paratus for the sludge during the course of the operation. -live may add also that the `present process enables us t-o cconomize in the use of the catalytic agent employed, and while a-suiicient quantity of this material is necessary for the rapid carrying out of the process, it should also be noted that it is desirable not to too greatly exceed a proper percentage of this substance as compared to the original quantity of hypochlorite used, since a superoxid of cobalt may be formed which involves not only a Waste of the catalytic agent, in so far as the process is concerned, but a further Waste of oxygen whichmight otherwise be obtained during the course of the process. To

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the best of our knowledge also it has not been commonly knou'nrto use a continuous flow of hypochlorite solution through an apparatus of the type Ain question` for the purpose of producing oxygen, and'\veare of the opinion that the possibility of successfully. effeetuating a continuous process of this description depends largely upon the related steps herein set forth. l"Finally, wel particularly desirel to emphasize the desirability of keeping the concentrated liquor Y from the diluted or partly used liquor; and the importance of introducing the Vcatalytic' agent in close proximity' to Where the-heat is applied. since otherwise the hypechloritc liquor will have a tendency to be decomyposed by theheat before itcomesiinto contact with t-hecatalyticagent; and being de'- 1. The process ot producing gas which icomprises reacting upon a fluid mass ot' gas yielding material wiith a catalytic agenty capable of evolving gas from said material, Whlle simultaneously effecting an upward flow of said mass toward a determined level whereby to hasten the release of evolved gas therefrom. Y

2. The process ot' producing gas which comprises reacting upon a tluid massv of gas yielding material With a catalytic agentcaablectevolving gas from said material, while simultaneously effecting an upward iioW of said mass toward a. determined level whereby to hasten the release of evolvedgas therefrom, andthereafter downwardly flowing said material while` permitting residual evolved gas to ascend therethrough.

l 3., The process of producing gas which comprises evolving said gaswithin a fluid mass by reacting upon gas yielding material present in said mass with a catalytic substance disseminated therethrough while progressively flowing said mass in a denite tortuous path which traverses diii'erent -levels, and withdrawing the evolved gas from contact with said massat a plurality of points along said path 4. The process of producing gas which comprises evolving said gas 'within a tluid mass by reacting upon gas yieldingl ma- 'terialv present in said mass with a catalytic agent capable of separating molecules of said gas from the molecules of said material, substantiallyv continuously subjecting t'resh quantities ot' said gas yielding matcrial to the action of said agent, and expeditiously removing the gas as generated troni said mass whereby to facilitate thc continued production of the same.

5. The process of producing gus which con'lprises evolving said gas within a fluid mass b v reacting upon gas yielding material present in saidmass with a catalytic agent capable of separating molecules ot said gas 'from the molecules of said material until the greater part of `the gas obtainable from said material has been evolved, then flowing the partially spent material laterally with respect'. to its first position, to facilitate the disentrainment ot' gas ltherefrom, andthen flowing said lluid mass generally downwardly while continuing the reaction therein, whereby to further facilitate the evolution ot said gas.

6. The process of producing gas which comprises evolving said within a fluid mass divided into a pluralityv ot' substantially distinct bodies one of which is materially richer in gas yielding material than is a succeeding one of said bodies, withdrawing a large part of saidgas from said first into contact with said agent, establishing an upward flow in a portion of said mass whereby to aid the disengagement of said gas from said portion, and downwardly flowing said portion, thereafter, at a less speed than that of the upward flow aforesaid.

8. The process of producing which comprises evolving said gas within a fluid mass containing a material capable ot yielding the desired gas when reacted upon by a catalytic agent, by bringingsaid material into cantact with said agent, establishing aflow of said mass through a determined course, and varying the speed of flow in dilterent portions of said course.

9. The process ot' producing gas which comprises evolving said gas within 4a fluid mass containing a material capable of yielding the desired gas when reacted upon by a catalytic agent, by bringing said material into contact with said agent, establishing a flow of said mass through a \determined course, and varying the speed of flow in different portions of'said course, said speed of flow being more rapid in a first part of said course than in a succeeding portion.

10. The process of producing gas from a material capable of yielding the same which" comprises reacting upon said material with a re-agent capableof reacting therewith to form said gas, while flowing said material upwardly from one level to another, thereafter flowing the partially spent. material downwardly t'rom one level to another, but at a speed which is less than that at which it was flowed upwardly in the preceding operation, and continuing to evolve said within the body of said partiall)l spent'material during said downward iiow of. the` same.

1l. The process of producing gas from a material capable of yielding the same which comprises reacting upon said material lwith a reagent capable ofreacting therewith Ato form said gas while heating said material by injecting steam tliereinto, and while flowing said material upwardly from one level to another, and laterally, whereby to aid. the escape ot both the steam and evolved gas from said material.

12.#The process of'produoing gas which comprises evolving said gas Within a. fluid In Witness whereof, We 'subscribe our sigmass by reaetirg upon gas yielding materiel natures, in the presence of two Witnesses. present in sai mass with a catalytiosubstance disseminated therethrough While pio- MAHON gressively'fiowing said mass in a. definite path, and withdrawing the evolved gas from Witnesses: Contact With said mass at a plurality ofA H. H. HACKENHEIMER, points along said path. CHAS. F. VAUGIYIN.

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